Gemotions

The news landed like a lead weight in Emma’s gut. A half-sister. Another daughter. She reread the message, the words blurring. Her mother, the woman who had always been distant, had a child she kept a secret? The betrayal stung.

She called her mother, her voice trembling. The woman on the other end answered casually, offering a brief, almost dismissive explanation. She was polite, even a little bit condescending. Emma felt her hands clench.

She visited her mother a week later and saw a photograph, of the sister. She saw a resemblance. She saw the new car parked in the driveway. She saw the careful way the sister’s hand rested on her mother’s arm. Emma excused herself and went outside to get some air.